Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Leading opposition contender Yoon Seok-youl slammed for remarks praising ex-dictator
Main opposition People Power Party's leading presidential hopeful Yoon Seok-youl clenches his fist during a meeting with party members in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Yonhap
By Kim Rahn
By Kim Rahn
Yoon Seok-youl, the leading presidential contender of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), has drawn condemnation over his remarks that seemed to defend Chun Doo-hwan, who led a military coup in December 1979 to take over the country and ordered the deadly suppression of pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju in May 1980.
Yoon explained that he meant there were things to learn from the former leader, but criticism arose from not only the ruling bloc and Gwangju citizens but also from members of his own party.
During a meeting with party members in Busan, Tuesday, Yoon said that if he becomes president, he would appoint top-class experts in key government positions to manage administrative affairs systematically.
He then mentioned Chun: “Parts of Chun's acts were wrong, but many say he was good at politics aside from the military coup and (suppression of the) May 18 (Gwangju uprising). Quite a lot of people in the Honam region (meaning Gwangju and South and North Jeolla provinces) also say so.”
According to Yoon, Chun, who had been a career soldier prior to taking power, appointed capable people in each sector and left state affairs to them, so “that's why state affairs ran smoothly.”
The former prosecutor said that if he is elected president, he would appoint the most suitable people to government positions regardless of their political inclination. “I've learned a lot (about issues in various sectors) while investigating those in political and economic power, but I won't be able to do things on my own, as my knowledge will be insufficient (to cover all state affairs) … So I'll appoint top experts, manage the system and communicate with the people.”
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers, whose constituencies are in Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, hold a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday, to criticize main opposition People Power Party presidential contender Yoon Seok-youl for partially praising Chun Doo-hwan who took power in a military coup and led the bloody suppression of pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju in 1980. Joint Press Corps
His remarks, however, drew immediate criticism for praising the former dictator, who had been found guilty of treason and sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison, before receiving a presidential pardon in 1997.
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Song Young-gil said Yoon, who has been making controversial remarks since officially entering politics earlier this year, has gotten to the point of praising Chun.
“If Chun, who cracked down on Gwangju citizens with weapons, violated people's human rights and democracy and committed all kinds of illegal acts, had a systematic politics, can we call Hitler's and Stalin's politics systematic, too?” he said in a party meeting at the National Assembly, Wednesday.
PPP members were not on Yoon's side, either, expressing concerns that his comments may affect support rate for the party as a whole, especially in the southwestern region.
“I don't think he has proper historical views or a political philosophy, and this shows that he is unqualified to become president,” Lee Un-ju, a former lawmaker who is supporting PPP presidential contender Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, said in a radio interview, Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Yoo Seong-min, another PPP contender, said, “Whatever his intention of the remarks was ― whether to cover up for his lack of capabilities (in managing state affairs) or to appeal to ultra-right voters ― it is never acceptable to defend the dictatorial regime of Chun Doo-hwan.”
Gwangju-based civic organizations comprised of the surviving victims and bereaved families of the pro-democracy activists, also urged Yoon to apologize and the PPP to come up with measures to prevent party members from making such comments again.
“Last year, the interim head of the PPP knelt down and apologized for some party members' remarks that disparaged the movement. But with Yoon's remarks, we doubt whether the party's apology was sincere,” they said in a statement.
Regarding the mounting criticism, Yoon said on Wednesday that he fully acknowledges that Chun was a dictator who suppressed democracy, adding that he had only intended to stress the importance of appointing capable people to government positions.